1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the treatment of particulate admixtures of rare earth oxides and gallium oxides, and, more especially, relates to the recovery of gallium and rare earth values from mixed oxides thereof, e.g., from the waste fines which result upon production of garnets, by acidulation/dissolution of such admixtures, followed by liquid/liquid extraction, phase separation and ultimate recovery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is currently virtually impossible to produce gallium/rare earth garnets in yields in excess of 40%. This is due to the large number of off-standard garnets, namely, crucible residues, cutting residues and polishing residues, i.e., waste fines. The recovery of the raw starting materials originating from these various sources constitutes a most significant problem in view of the cost of the gallium oxides and the rare earth oxides.